A.J. AND BUBBY'S
MANDELBREAD
Shira Klein uses her
mom's cinnamon shaker
on her mandelbread.
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3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 cup ground pecans
Cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling on
mandelbread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix
the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt
and oil in a large bowl
until well combined.
Stir in the flour,
baking powder,
baking soda and
pecans until
completely
incorporated.
Form the dough
\
11fogse-
.
into 3 even logs on
ungreased cookie sheets
(use two — the dough will
spread when baked). Place the sheets in the
oven and bake for 25 minutes. Allow the
loaves to cool slightly before cutting them into
1/2-inch slices.
Place the slices, cut side down, back on the
sheet and sprinkle them with ground
cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 5 minutes, turn
the slices over and sprinkle with more
cinnamon and sugar and bake another 5
minutes. Allow to cool completely before
storing in a tin box or other airtight container.
Makes varied amounts, depending on how you
slice it.
-4
s
Mother's mandelbread was her
calling card throughout her life.
ome kids grew up with a cookie jar
full of chocolate chip cookies. We
grew up with a tin full of
mandelbread.
Everyone loved Mom's mandelbread
with coffee, tea, milk or just as a nosh in the
middle of the day.
My Bubby (Lillian Saulson) made the
mandels before my mom (Ann Jeanette
"A.J." Doneson), but not the way my
mother did — they were mom's thing. Mom
had the old weathered recipe, now I have it.
I have her cinnamon and sugar shaker, too.
She made it all the time and took it
everywhere. My mom passed away in Palm
Springs; when we came home, there still was
Mom's mandelbread. We still make it for my
dad, Jules Doneson (of Farmington Hills),
but no one makes it quite like mom did.
When I take something — that's what I
take. My older sister (Davida Doneson-
Robinson of Franklin) makes it. But I tease her
that she underbakes. I think hers are not as
crispy as my mom's...I think mine are. She also
does different kinds; I only just do my mom's.
I absolutely think of my mom when I'm
making it.
— Shiva Klein, Ann Arbor
JN • SOURCEBOOK
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